The invention relates to a front attachment for an agricultural harvesting machine that operates independently of rows for harvesting stalk crop.
Front attachments for agricultural harvesting machines are known. Document DE 102005021792A1, for example, describes a front attachment for use with a self-propelled harvesting machine such as a combine harvester or a forage harvester. The front attachment so discloses comprises intake conveyor and snapping units, which are disposed in pairs and are used to pick up and convey as well as harvest the stalk crop. A cross auger is disposed downstream of the intake conveyor and snapping units and feeds the crop to a feed rake, which feeds crop into the harvesting machine. A chopping device (designed as a cutting disc), is located underneath each of the intake conveyor and snapping units and separates the plant stalks from the stump, which remains in the ground.
These components, i.e., the intake conveyor and snapping units, the cross auger and the cutting discs are driven by means of a common drive train. To this end, drive power provided by an internal combustion engine of the harvesting machine is transferred by a chain or a belt to a universal drive shaft of the front attachment. The universal drive shaft leads into a transmission housing (which houses a transmission), from which transmission the drive power is distributed to the components to be driven. The intake conveyor and snapping units are disposed in pairs and are connected to one another on the drive side by a continuous shaft extending across the width of the front attachment. Bevel gears branch off from the shaft to the respective intake conveyor and snapping units and to the particular cutting discs.